LeBron James had 35 points and Chris Bosh made the two biggest plays in the Heat's NBA Finals Game 2 victory Sunday. / Tony Gutierrez, AP

by Jeff Zillgitt, USA TODAY Sports

by Jeff Zillgitt, USA TODAY Sports

SAN ANTONIO - If LeBron James believes he is the easiest target in sports for whatever he does or doesn't do, Miami Heat teammate Chris Bosh is the No. 2 in the NBA.

A day after James said he doesn't care what people say or think about him, Bosh said the same about his critics.

"I don't care. That's the main part," Bosh said. "I don't really care about criticism. If it doesn't help me, then I don't listen to it. ... I believe in my craft. I work hard at my game and that's all that matters."

James and Bosh were central figures in Miami's 98-96 victory Sunday vs. the San Antonio Spurs in Game 2 of the NBA Finals.

Following leg cramp that limited his production in Game 1, James had an unsurprising yet dominant performance with 35 points on 14-for-22 shooting, 10 rebounds, three assistss and two steals as the Heat evened the best-of-7 series at 1-all. Bosh had 18 points, delivering a game-changing three-pointer and assist in the final 78 seconds.

James had 22 of his points in the second half, including 14 in the third quarter, when the Heat began to find offensive and defensive success against the Spurs.

"Just play the game, try to play the game the right way," James said. "However the flow of the game is going, I just try to impose my will in some kind of way - either scoring or rebounding or assisting or defending. Put myself and my teammates in a position to succeed, and I was happy in the fact that I was able to make some plays to help us get the victory tonight."

James has a game-day routine, but he altered it Sunday in the Texas Hill Country outside of San Antonio.

"One thing I did do differently this morning, I took an 8 a.m. yoga class at our resort that we stayed at outside," he said. "Me and three other people and also a little kid, but he didn't want no part of it."

James took significant criticism for his inability to play through cramps - the vitriol misplaced and unnecessarily vulgar. But if it's not leg cramps, it's something else. For being the best player in the world, so many of James' plays are oddly scrutinized.

The tired storyline about James passing vs. shooting when the outcome is undecided late in the game resurfaced in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Indiana Pacers when James decided to pass to Bosh for a potential game-winning three-pointer.

Bosh missed, the Heat lost Game 5 and some people lost their basketball senses.

"When the ball is in my hands, I'm going to make the right play," James said. "To have that trust from my teammates, they know when I got the ball, I'm going to make the right play. Doesn't mean it's going to go in. Doesn't mean it's going to result in a win, but they believe in my ability to do that."

A similar moment presented itself in Game 2. With 2:07 remaining in the fourth quarter and the Heat trailing 93-92, James passed to Bosh in the corner, and Bosh missed.

Forty-nine seconds later, James again passed the ball to Bosh in the corner. This time, Bosh made the three-pointer, putting Miami ahead for good.

James said he doesn't let a previous play influence his next decision.

"Not at all," James said. "If you're on the floor at that point in time, you can make a play. You can make a shot, a steal, a rebound."

The trust James has in his teammates - from Dwyane Wade to Bosh to Rashard Lewis - can be amazing.

"You know, C.B. had just missed one, got a great look, but if I draw two and his man leaves him again ... I went right back to him and he knocked it down," James said. "I got a lot of confidence in my teammates and they got a lot of confidence in me and we live with the results no matter what happens."

Bosh gets criticism, too, albeit maybe not as loud and as often. Why doesn't Bosh play in the post more often? Why does he shoot so many threes? Why doesn't he get more rebounds?

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said, "(Bosh is) arguably our most important player. We've said that now for four years."

If James is the easiest target in the league, Bosh said, "I'm probably the second."

Bosh has evolved into a different play, typical of the Heat's unorthodox inverted style where big man often play outside.

"If he's not getting the normal opportunities, and he's not scoring, or doesn't have big rebound numbers, it seems from the outside everybody is so critical about his game," Spoelstra said. "But for us he has a lot on his plate.

"He's a two‚??way player on both ends of the court. He has to facilitate and space the floor, and he has to find opportunities to be aggressive. It's a tough balance. He's versatile enough and important enough for us that he's been able to find that."

James has no problem going back to Bosh after a miss, and Bosh has no problem launching another three after a miss.

"Just me knowing how LeBron is, you always have to be poised and ready to shoot the basketball," Bosh said. "He's the most unselfish player I've ever played with, and especially with the talent that he has playing the game, the way he plays the game. He doesn't try to force anything."

James had every reason to force his shot, considering he made 6-of-7 shots, including two three-pointers, in the third quarter.

Even when it seems Miami's best offense is James going one-on-one, James prefers to play, as he says, the right way.

"Even if he is hot, he'll still hit you if you're wide open," Bosh said. "And that's what makes this team special because your best player is willing to sacrifice a shot, a good shot for a great shot. You just have to commend him for that."

Bosh sealed the win with an assist to Wade with 9.4 seconds left.

James and Bosh may never silence critics. But for a night, they turned down the noise.